WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN THE USA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY

The article examines the features of women’s education in the USA in the second half of the 19th century. Despite the growing interest in women’s history and the relevance of the problem of the development of the educational system, the degree of elaboration of the history of American women’s education remains low, which determines the relevance of studying women’s education in the United States in the second half of the 19th century and its impact on the status of women. The development of the American education system is considered; the predominance of the private sector over the public sector at the beginning of the 18th century and the gradual development of free public education since the middle of the 19th century are noted. In the first half of the 19th century, women’s education as a system did not exist in the United States. Girls could only study in elementary schools and only in the summer, when the boys were on vacation and there were free places in the classrooms. The lack of formation of the women’s education system is associated with the anti-feminism of early American society and the belief that education would cause deviant behavior in women and threaten the moral values of society. The principle of elitism of education and gender discrimination began to gradually disappear after the Civil War of 1861—1865, and girls from ordinary families began to get the opportunity to study on an equal basis with boys at the initial degree. Young women who attended a women’s academy, seminary, or public secondary school were mostly educated as primary and secondary school teachers, due to the transition to formal schooling, improved career opportunities for men, and lower cost of female teachers. In the middle of the 19th century there were many pedagogical seminaries in the USA, which played an important role in the formation of American women’s education.

woman, USA, feminism, women’s rights, women’s education, primary education, secondary education, higher education, teachers, 19th century

Rubtsova T. S. Women’s education in the USA in the second half of the 19th century. Biznes. Obrazovanie. Pravo = Business. Education. Law. 2024;2(67):344—349. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2024.67.947.